The Dawn of the Teenage Era is now upon us

As I write this post, it is 12:39am on Saturday, July 30th, 2011.  That means that I am now officially the father of a teenage boy.  If I thought puberty sucked before, I'm really in for it now.  I have already noticed the slight changes going on mentally from boyhood to adolescence.  He is moving away slightly from action figures and spending more time with his iPod.  He notices things more than he used to and is more sensitive to how people perceive him.  In a nutshell, he is growing up. 

We've tried hard to make him as good a person as possible.  As he transitions from boy to man, I see that some of our lessons have sunk in.  He is polite, thoughtful, caring.  He has a good heart and a kind spirit.  I still worry, that's my job, but I feel better about him now than I did a few years ago.  Just when we think we have gone as far as we can go, he always manages to surprise us with his ability to go just a little farther.  That alone makes me as proud a father as you'll ever find.

So on this day, when my son turns 13, I want to tell him just how much I love him.  How I cherish every moment we spend together.  Even the bad ones.  There is nothing more important to me than Jason, and I will keep fighting to try and make his life as great as it can be.  He deserves nothing less.  Happy 13th birthday, Jason Claro Duran.  Daddy loves you more than you could ever imagine.

Having conquered Orlando, it's on to Sebastian on August 20th for the regional meet

Yes, that's right.  Jason will next be competing on August 20th in Sebastian, FL during a Special Olympics regional meet.  It will be at North County Regional Park, located at 9450 95th Street (CR 512), Sebastian, FL 32958.  The competition is scheduled to run from 8am to 2pm on Saturday for the long course events (which are the ones Jason is swimming in) and then the short course events will be on Sunday.  Jason is only swimming on Saturday, so anyone who cares to join us and cheer him on, please feel free.  As I get more info on this event, I will pass it along to everyone.

Next stop: Orlando and swim meet #2!

Well, we've barely been able to fully appreciate Jason's accomplishment this past weekend, before having to prepare to do it all over again.  Jason will be participating in another meet in Orlando that's being run by the YMCA.  Some of his teammates will be there from Special Olympics, but it isn't a Special Olympics event.  He has already been informed that he will be traveling this weekend to another meet, and he seems to be ok with it so far.  This time, the pool is indoors, but supposedly the building still gets hot anyway.  I say, it can't get much hotter than it was during the first meet outside.  The meet will be at the YMCA Aquatic Family Center, the website for the facility is http://www.ymcacentralflorida.com/y-locations/aquatic-center/.  Anybody in the Orlando area that wants to come cheer him on during the meet on Saturday, please feel free.  The more, the merrier.  I will post the results as soon as we have them.  Wish us luck!!!!

The first swim meet is in the books!!!!!

It was hotter than the surface of the sun out there today, but Jason's first swim meet is in the books.  I am very proud of my son today, he did an awesome job!  For starters, the swimmers were in a different area than the families all day, which he was not expecting.  He took the change in stride and stayed in the swimmers' area by himself, without giving anyone any trouble. 

His first event was the 50 meter freestyle.  When he tried to get on the starting block, it apparently wasn't set properly and sunk into place when he put his weight on it.  At that point, he wanted no part of it, and decided he wanted to start in the water.  The unofficial results of that race was a third place finish, less than one second behind second place!!  It was all the more impressive considering that second place had dove off of the starting blocks, giving him an advantage on Jason.  The fact that Jason had made up the advantage and made the race so close was unreal.  Once they went to the official times, however, they found that Jason had touched the time pads on the wall before the other guy.  So Jason was awarded the second place ribbon for that race!!!

His second event was the 50 meter breaststroke.  He gave it his all and ended with an unofficial finish of third place.  However, one of the other boys was disqualified, causing Jason to be awarded a second place finish in that race as well. 

His final event was a 4x50 meter freestyle relay.  That means you have a team of four guys swimming 50 meters freestyle each.  The first guy will jump in and swim to one end, where the second will jump in and swim back the other way to where the third is waiting.  He then jumps in and swims down to the fourth, who swims back the other way to finish the race.  Jason was the third man up on his team.  The first two guys gave Jason a lead, and he didn't give it up.  He passed along that same lead to the anchor leg (#4) who blew away everyone with his speed to easily win the event, giving Jason a first place finish in the relay!!!

All in all, everything went very well, outside of the unbearable heat with no shade anywhere.  My parents came to cheer him on, as did his behavior therapist, a few friends of ours and some of Jason's teammates from Sunrise Swimming (his regular swim team).  His other team had a meet today as well, but the ones who weren't competing in that meet were kind enough to come and lend their support to Jason today.  He was thrilled when he saw his teammates had come.  We can't thank everyone enough for having come out to cheer him on.  It meant a lot to him and to us.  Below are some of the pics we got, more to follow as I get them from other cameras.  Before anyone asks, yes, that is Aquaman on my shirt.  What other super hero am I supposed to wear to my son's swim meet?

Special Olympics Broward County swim meet July 16th, 2011

Ok, folks.  A lot of people have been asking me for the information regarding Jason's first swim meet.  I got all of the details at this morning's practice, including a flyer for the parents.  The flyer is attached below, with all of the pertinent info.  The only thing missing from the flyer is the price of admission, which is $0.  That's right, folks. Absolutely free.  Special Olympics does NOT charge admission to their events.  The meet is at Nova Southeastern University's pool, SW 36th street, Davie, FL.  Opening Ceremonies are at 8am and competition is set to begin at 9am.  Let me know if you need any further information.  I know that not everyone can go, but we wanted to make all of the information available to everyone.  That way, everyone could figure out what to do on their own.  If you can't go, wish Jason good luck on his first swim meet ever.

Happy Anniversary

I just wanted to wish a very happy anniversary to my wife, Arlene.  We met on July 7th, 1992 and got married July 8th, 1995.  19 years together in one form or another, and I wouldn't have anyone else at my side to face the challenges thrown at us.  I hope we have many, many more.

Required Reading (or at least it should be)

Here are some books that might be helpful for anyone dealing with autism.  The first three are written by Temple Grandin, a scientist with a Ph.D. who happens to be autistic.  The fourth is written by her mother, talking about the challenge of raising an autistic child in the 50s, before autism was as exposed as it is now.  The last two are general information books that may be helpful to anyone raising a child with autism or Asperger's.

The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger’s by Temple Grandin     $ 9.29

In this innovative book, Dr. Temple Grandin gets down to the REAL issues of autism, the ones parents, teachers, and individuals on the spectrum face every day. Temple offers helpful do’s and don’ts, practical strategies, and try-it-now tips, all based on her “insider” perspective and a great deal of research. These are just some of the specific topics Temple delves into:

    How and Why People with Autism Think Differently

    Economical Early Intervention Programs that Work

    How Sensory Sensitivities Affect Learning

    Behaviors Caused by a Disability vs. Just Bad Behaviors

    Teaching People with Autism to Live in an Unpredictable World

    Alternative Medicine vs. Conventional Medicine

    Employment Ideas for Adults with Autism

Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism by Temple Grandin    $ 8.86

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one-third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism--because Temple Grandin is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us.

In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism. Writing from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells us how that country is experienced by its inhabitants and how she managed to breach its boundaries to function in the outside world. What emerges in Thinking in Pictures is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who, in gracefully and lucidly bridging the gulf between her condition and our own, sheds light on the riddle of our common identity.

Emergence, Labeled Autistic: A True Story by Temple Grandin     $ 8.88

A true story that is both uniquely moving and exceptionally inspiring, Emergence is the first-hand account of a courageous autistic woman who beat the odds and cured herself. As a child, Temple Grandin was forced to leave her "normal" school and enroll in a school for autistic children. This searingly honest account captures the isolation and fears suffered by autistics and their families and the quiet strength of one woman who insisted on a miracle.

A Thorn in my Pocket: Temple Grandin’s Mother Tells the Family Story by Eustacia Cutler    $19.96

A Thorn in My Pocket is Eustacia Cutler's story of raising her daughter, Temple Grandin, in the conservative Leave-it-to-Beaver world of the fifties, a time when children with autism were routinely diagnosed as "infant schizophrenics" and banished to institutions. She tells of her fight to keep Temple in the mainstream of family, community, and school life, how Temple responded and went on to succeed, as Ms. Cutler puts it, "beyond my wildest dreams." Ms. Cutler also explores the nature of the autism disorder as doctors understand it today, and how its predominant characteristics reflect our own traits in an exaggerated form.

How to Teach Life Skills to Kids with Autism or Asperger’s by Jennifer McIlwee Meyers    $17.92

No matter how high-functioning children with autism or Asperger's may be, they are going to have trouble as adults if they lack skills such as personal hygiene or multi-tasking. Enter Jennifer McIlwee Myers, Aspie at Large. Co-author of the groundbreaking book Asperger's and Girls, Jennifer's personal experience with Asperger's Syndrome and having a brother with autism makes her perspective doubly insightful. From basic skills such as domestic chores, dressing for success, and being polite, to abstract concepts like time management and task-switching, Jennifer's straightforward and humorous delivery will keep parents, teachers, and therapists turning the page for the next creative solution.

1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism or Asperger’s/Edition 2     $14.45

Winner of a Teachers’ Choice Award, the first edition of this book has already become a bestseller throughout the autism community. Now, in this expanded edition, authors Ellen Notbohm (best-selling author of the revolutionary book Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew) and Veronica Zysk (award-winning author, and editor of Autism Asperger's Digest magazine) have added over 400 new ideas, which are complimented by a new layout specially designed to enhance the readers’ experience. With this book, parents and professionals can bypass countless hours spent seeking answers to the mystifying day-to-day challenges of autism.

Bipolar Mysteries

I don't know if all cable or satellite systems carry it, but I urge everyone to please watch a documentary called "Bipolar Mysteries" on Discovery Fit & Health (ch. 261 on DirecTV) this Friday, July 8th at 11am.  It follows four families struggling to raise children suffering from bipolar disorder.  Of particular interest to us was the segment featuring an 11 year old girl named Kelsey.  Her case shared many similarities to Jason, not the least of which they are both swimmers.  Her facial expressions, closed fists and growling during an episode are almost identical to Jason. 

Here is a link to the TV listings page for the show on the channel's website.  It allows you to set up an email reminder for the show, and in the top right hand corner of the page, helps you find the channel on your local service.  The link is http://health.discovery.com/tv-schedules/special.html?paid=62.8515.129676.0.0. 

Fireworks

As we approach the Independence Day weekend, most people are looking forward to cookouts, sun and fun at the beach, maybe a baseball game, family time and fireworks.  This is one of the two times of the year that I dread.  Children with autism have their senses a little more sensitive than the rest of us.  Bright lights or strong smells, like ammonia or fish, will bother them a great deal.  Loud noises are no exception.  When Jason was younger, July 4th meant laying in his bed with him, earplugs in place, as he curled up in the fetal position with both of our hands over his ears.  If anyone on our block had fireworks, it was that much worse.  He likes watching the Macy's fireworks from New York on TV, he just doesn't want to hear the loud booms.

As he's gotten older, his tolerance has gotten better, but that is not true of all kids in the same boat.  It also doesn't mean it's not a problem today.  Two years ago, we went to Disney and stayed for the fireworks at Cinderella's castle.  With earplugs firmly in place, we thought we had everything covered.  Once the show started, however, he buried his face in my chest as we tried to cover his ears with our hands to reinforce the plugs.  To his credit, he didn't make us leave and stood there the whole time so that we could see the show, even though he wouldn't turn to face the fireworks out of fear.  Nowadays, he doesn't curl up anymore, unless the fireworks are right outside our house.  New Year's Eve isn't as bad, but it's got its share of fireworks as well.  Sometimes if the music in our house can overcome the sound of the fireworks, he's ok.  Loud music is fine with him, as long as it's music he likes.

There's no deep, hidden meaning to this post.  Just wanted to share what this weekend is like for us.  Have a safe and happy 4th, emphasis on safe.